Ward contestants spend lavishly to win elections

VELLORE: Wooing voters with money has become the norm in the ensuing local body polls in Vellore district with even candidates contesting for village panchayat wards spending lavishly to ensure victory.

Sources revealed that in Kuppam panchayat in Vellore panchayat union a candidate contesting for the ward member’s post was wooing voters with Rs 500. “Given the fact that the ward has only 160 votes, the candidate feels that if he wins half of the voters to his side, he will be ensured of victory” says local political observer Prakash. Asked about the need for this, a source revealed. “the village panchayat has been reserved for SC and hence if the ward member can become the vice president he will have enormous power as most central and state funds flow to the village panchayat. As the VP also has cheque signing powers he will be a power to contend with.”

With flying squads being limited and concentrating on seizing cash carried without documents, “there is no method to check interior villages where voters can be approached by contestants any time as all know each other” said a Kuppam resident. Contestants for panchayat wards spending lavishly has surprised observers as till now only those contesting on party symbols for panchayat union and district wards were expected to spend. However, decrying this new trend, a Gudiyattam based senior AIADMK functionary said “village level contestants spending too much are unaware that if they lose they will never recoup what they spent.”

But local influence and the necessity to be recognized as a ‘mover and shaker’ is what drives such candidate to even borrow money to spend for the polls, sources added.